Barklice

Striped insect found in swarms July 26, 2009 We have just recently found these little bugs in swarms on all of our trees, especially the cedar trees. We don’t see any specific damage being done by them. These are located in Syracuse NY. Please advise if these should be of concern? Jamie Syracuse NY 13209

Barklice

Hi Jamie, Thanks so much for writing to us before you decided to take drastic measures to exterminate these benign Cerastipsocus venosus, Barklice in the family Psocidae. Generally when a large group of insects congregate on plants in this manner, they are feeding on the plant and potentially causing damage. These Barklice are feeding on lichens, not on your tree. They are immature and adult Barklice are winged. You may find images of adult Barklice on BugGuide.